I dont know about you, but I didnt like the picks at all. 7th round, they get 2 WRs? 6th round they waste it on a QB? Frostee Rucker in the 3rd? He was projected to be a 5-7 rounde not a 3. Joseph could be a nice player, but we needed a Safety more than a CB. Alot of the picks like Joseph, Whiteworth, and Rucker seem to signify that ather players wont be returning like James, Willy, and Justin Smith.
I disagree. It was not a sexy big name draft, but it was better than it looks at first.
1. Joseph is a solid, solid pick. Was considered the best CB by some draft analysts which made him the best available when the Bengals picked.
2. Whitworth is a solid OT and most definite NFL starting tackle. If you didn't read the Enquirer article this morning about his meeting with Bratkowski, you should. It will make you feel better.
3. Frostee Rucker..........I'm not that thrilled with this pick, but at this point, I'll trust Marvin on this one.
4. Peko........the big heavy (320 Lbs.) run stopper that everyone keeps crying for.
5. Nicholson.........LB, Florida State..........I'm not that crazy about this pick, but methinks some of our LB's will be hitting the road soon and this guy will be a special teams guy.
6. Reggie McNeal........QB, Texas A&M.........you should read this guy's bio..........nevermind, here it is:
We have our slash.
Name: Reggie McNeal
College: Texas A&M Number: 1
Height: 6-2 Weight: 198
Position: QB Pos2: WR
Class/Draft Year: Sr/2006
40 Time: 4.40
Projected Round: 5-6 Stock:
Rated number 11 out of 84 QB's 224 / 1737 TOTAL
Combine Results Pro Day Results
Combine Invite: Yes
Height: 6020
Weight: 198
40 Yrd Dash: 4.40
20 Yrd Dash: 2.63
10 Yrd Dash: 1.61
Wonderlic:
225 Lb. Bench Reps:
Vertical Jump: 32
Broad Jump: 10'1"
20 Yrd Shuttle: 4.27
3-Cone Drill: 6.98
Overview
One of the finest pure athletes in college football, 2005 was supposed to be McNeal's coming out party, but the team's struggling offense and a late season injury kept him from reaching that next level as a senior. Few players, much less quarterbacks, have the speed, agility and arm strength McNeal displays. He can rival Atlanta's Michael Vick in a foot race and challenge the deep passing ability of the Colts' Peyton Manning. Still, when names are tossed around for early draft consideration, McNeal's name is not familiar to the average fan.
McNeal was named Super Prep Offensive Player of the Year as a senior at Lufkin High School. He was rated the third-best quarterback prospect in the nation and earned All-America honors from that recruiting service. He added Parade All-American, East Texas Player of the Year, second-team All-State (by the Texas Sports Writers Association), first-team Super Team selection (by Dave Campbell's Texas Football Magazine) and District MVP honors. He was also named one of six finalists for the National High School Player of the Year Award.
He led his Lufkin team to a 15-1 record and the Class 5A Division II state championship (38-24 win over Austin Westlake). McNeal rushed for 159 yards and threw for 223 yards in the state title game and brought his team back from a 21-3 deficit, despite injuring an ankle. As a senior, McNeal completed 134 of 307 passes for 2,385 yards and 24 touchdowns, and rushed for 856 yards on 165 carries and 10 touchdowns to combine for 3,241 total yards and 34 touchdowns in the 2001 season. He also played defensive back in critical stages of games, making an interception and returning it for a touchdown to clinch a playoff victory vs. Killeen High. As a senior, he intercepted seven passes on defense.
As a junior, McNeal threw for 2,150 yards while completing 115 of 230 attempts and 25 touchdowns to earn second-team All-State and District MVP honors. He also rushed for ten touchdowns. During his sophomore season, he passed for 1,400 yards and 15 touchdowns while earning Sophomore of the Year honors.
McNeal also excelled in basketball, baseball and track. He earned All-District honorable mention on the basketball court and was the district champion in the 100- and 200-meter dashes as a junior. He finished third in the 100 at the state track meet. McNeal was a four-year member of the All-Academic Excellence team and also a member of the student council and the President's Roundtable.
Expecting to redshirt in 2002, Texas A&M decided to activate McNeal for eight games. He came off the bench vs. Oklahoma to earn National Player of the Week honors after throwing for four touchdowns in a 30-25 upset win over the top-ranked Sooners. McNeal would gain 456 yards with six touchdowns and three interceptions on 24 of 45 passing (53.3 percent) that year. He added 137 yards on 37 carries.
He started eleven of twelve games for the Aggies in 2003, but was utilized in a shuttle system with Dustin Long in several contests. McNeal connected on 113 of 221 attempts (51.1 percent) for 1,782 yards, eight touchdowns and seven interceptions. He also rushed 127 times for 370 yards (2.9 avg) and four scores.
In 2004, McNeal switched jersey numbers from No. 16 to No. 1. He was named a semifinalist for the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award and first-team All-Big Twelve Conference quarterback (by the Dallas Morning News) after a spectacular junior season. He passed for 2,791 yards (school single-season record) and 14 touchdowns with only four interceptions on 200 of 344 passing (58.1 percent). He threw for more than 200 yards in ten games, including a career-best 298 vs. Wyoming. He rushed for 718 yards (single-season school record for a quarterback) and eight touchdowns on 151 carries (4.8 avg). His 3,509 yards in total offense broke the old school single-season record of 2,667 by Mark Farris in 2000.
The 2005 season turned sour when the Aggies lost their last four games to finish 5-6. McNeal started the first ten games, but a left ankle sprain vs. Oklahoma kept him out of the season finale vs. Texas. McNeal connected on 141 of 265 passes (53.2 percent) for 1,963 yards, sixteen touchdowns and nine interceptions. He carried 96 times for 664 yards (6.9 avg) and three scores. Ball security was an issue as McNeal fumbled seven times, but he also recorded a pair of solo tackles.
In 42 games, McNeal started 34 times for the Aggies. He hit on 478 of 875 passes (54.6 percent) for 6,992 yards, 44 touchdowns and 23 interceptions. He joined Ed Hargett (5379, 1966-68), Kevin Murray (6506, 1983-86) and Corey Pullig (6846, 1992-95) as the only players in school history to throw for over 5,000 yards in a career. He amassed 1,889 yards with 15 touchdowns on 411 carries (4.6 avg). Only Bucky Richardson (2095, 1987-89, 91) gained more yards rushing during a career by an A&M quarterback. His 8,881 yards in total offense set a school career-record, topping the old mark of 6,888 yards by Pullig.
Analysis
Positives: Has a well-defined frame with room for additional growth with no loss in quickness...Has outstanding foot speed, doing an excellent job of scrambling to avoid the pass rush...Blessed with exceptional arm strength and while he stands tall in the pocket, he appears to be much better throwing on the move than by stepping up...Has a very quick release with an over-the-top arm motion and follow-through...Puts excellent zip on his deep tosses, doing a good job of placing the ball along the outside shoulder of his receivers...Has a good feel for pocket pressure, displaying the balance and burst to slip past and avoid the initial tackler...Has that second gear needed to separate and win the foot races running down the sidelines...Looks confident standing up in the pocket and no longer looks to run at the first sign of pressure...Relies on his arm strength to make things happen on deep routes, but is developing the field vision to locate his secondary targets in progression...Has that make-you-miss speed and agility rolling out of the pocket and the hip flexibility to get very good rotation when throwing on rollouts...Has very good peripheral vision and uses it to step in and out to avoid backside pressure... Has become an assertive leader on the field, keeping his cool and thriving when the game is on the line...Shows the ability to deliver the ball efficiently and adjust his release, depending on the pass situation...Very effective throwing off the sprint or rollout action.
Negatives: Regressed a bit in 2005, as he is still learning the game and is only adequate in reading defenses...Will sometimes force his throws, especially when he locks on to his primary target...Had a wind-up in his release earlier in his career, but now stands tall in the pocket to put zip on his throws...Relies too much on his arm strength to fire the ball through the defense, rather than time and feather his tosses (can be late getting the ball out when he hesitates timing his pass)...Better throwing on the move, where he feels more comfortable scanning the field rather than having to step up in the pocket...Needs to add more bulk to his frame...Has had several right shoulder injuries that need further medical review to properly evaluate...Was developing his skills as a touch passer prior to 2005, but failed to improve his diagnosis skills and must develop a better understanding for the defensive coverages...Made steady improvement in changing the speed on his short tosses in 2004, showing better timing and consistency, but because of protection breakdowns during his senior year, he reverted to forcing the ball into traffic, causing his receivers to spend too much time adjusting out of their breaks in order to get to the ball.
McNeal has outstanding athletic ability; so much so that some pro teams might even consider playing him as a halfback if he fails to make it as a quarterback. He is still a work in progress as a passer, but has one of the strongest arms in the game of football. He showed continued progress with each passing game until the 2005 season, but shows the ability to quickly learn from his mistakes.
He is a high-energy type that needs to be accounted for every second he is on the field. McNeal stands tall in the pocket and has the strength to absorb punishment from the pass rush. However, he also has the scrambling ability and touch to be quite effective throwing on the move. He is quick to set up and has an over-the-top release that gets his passes to receivers in stride. He has a quick delivery and has now learned how to vary the speed on his tosses; doing a nice job of feathering the ball over the outside shoulder of his target on deep routes or putting zip on the ball to fire underneath.
The three-year starter has total command in the huddle. He will throw across the body with a good completion rate. McNeal has a quick release, but struggled some to hit his receivers in stride as a senior. He will improvise on his throws to make the completion and seems more comfortable throwing on the move. Still, he can step up in the pocket and is a solid touch passer who does not panic under duress.
McNeal puts good zip behind his throws, especially showing improvement on underneath routes in 2004 compared to previous years. He is still learning how to read defenses under fire and will sometimes make his receivers work on deep routes, but few passers can hit their targets on the move with the velocity he displays. He needs to look off the defender and use all of his targets on the field better than he demonstrated during his senior year, though. McNeal will still eye his primary target too long. Rather than scanning the field and finding his secondary receivers, he tended to force the ball as a senior, like he did earlier in his career, and the result was nine interceptions on ill-advised passes.
With maturity, McNeal has learned how to buy time in the pocket so his receivers can get open. When all else fails, he is a dangerous weapon to tuck the ball and run with it, generally making the first tackler miss. When he breaks open up field, he will usually win the foot race. He needs to do a better job of securing the ball before running up field, as he has had several costly fumbles (25 fumbles in 42 games).
While his feet can carry the team to a few wins, he needs to become more confident in his arm strength. He has shown the ability to throw on the move, even when he cannot set his feet before unleashing the ball. By learning how to throw the ball away or take the sack, he reduced his interception total to only four during the 2004 season, but because of porous protection up front, he forced the ball quite a bit in 2005 and the result was nine interceptions and 34 deflected passes.
McNeal needs to stop forcing passes and must spend a little less time trying to connect with his primary receiver and making better progression reads. While Michael Vick gets most of his attention due to his athletic ability, McNeal is more polished as a passer. He needs to add some bulk, but has the frame to do so without losing any quickness. If he can improve upon his reads and not force the ball into a crowd, he could be a productive pro quarterback. If not, his athletic ability and explosive quickness could see him move to halfback or receiver at the next level.
7. Ethan Kilmer............Kilmer delivers on special teams
By Brian Bianca- Penn State Football Writer
October 30, 2005
STATE COLLEGE ? It?s hard to describe how he does it, how he gets to the return man so effortlessly.
Ethan Kilmer, a specialist on special teams.
The Penn State senior can?t help but be around the football, a trait that comes in handy as the gunner on special teams. Kilmer has had a knack for getting to the return man this season, but nothing like he showed Saturday.
Kilmer came out of nowhere to record a career-best six tackles on special teams against Purdue, in addition to forcing a key fumble that led to a Penn State touchdown.
?He?s an animal out there on special teams,? Deon Butler said. ?He just lets his athletic ability take over. Anyone that big, that fast, that strong, I wouldn?t want to be one of the guys back deep to block.?
Kilmer, a walk-on from Wyalusing, Pa., started the season playing mostly wide receiver but has grown into his role on special teams. Big, strong (6-foot, 205 pounds) and deceptively fast, opponents have trouble getting men in position to impede his progress down the field.
Purdue started out with one guy blocking him, then added two, and by the fourth quarter there were three guys shadowing Kilmer down the field.
?He?s just so fast,? linebacker Dan Connor said. ?He plays great. That?s part of the game that doesn?t really get enough credit.?
?Kilmer can really run,? said head coach Joe Paterno. ?He has become the leader of that kickoff coverage team.?
If Kilmer is the leader, then Rodney Kinlaw is the rising star. He broke a 58-yard kickoff return in the fourth quarter, the second consecutive week the sophomore has recorded a big return.
Kinlaw busted a 77-yard return last week against Illinois and came into the game averaging 54.5 yards per return.
?I just got in there to do my best,? Kinlaw said. ?I just use the gifts God gave me.?
7. BENNIE BRAZELL
Events: 400 meter Hurdles
Height: 6-1
Weight: 165
PRs: 47.67 (2005)
Born: June 2,1982 in Houston, Texas
Current Residence: Baton Rouge, Louisiana
High School: Westbury HS ?01
College: Louisiana State University '05
Coach: Dennis Shaver
Career Highlights: 2004 Olympic Games finalist; 3rd at 2004 U.S. Olympic Trials; Runner-up at 2004 & 2005 NCAA Championships; 10-time NCAA All-American
For the second consecutive year in 2005, Brazell was the runner-up in the men?s 110m hurdles at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, crossing the line in the new career-best time of 47.67 seconds. Brazell, who broke his own LSU school record by finishing in 48.52 seconds in the semifinals at the 2004 U.S. Olympic Trials in Sacramento, shaved nearly a half-second off that mark in the final when he posted a 48.05 to finish third and make the Olympic Team. ?Bennie was just unbelievable when you think that his PR (personal record) was 48.80 coming here,? said former LSU head coach Pat Henry (now at Texas A&M). ?He?s one of the finest competitors we?ve ever had.? Brazell turned in another strong performance with his eighth place finish later that summer at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. In 2003 Brazell turned in a sensational sophomore campaign in winning three national titles as a member of the Tigers? 4x100 and 4x400-meter relay teams?he anchored LSU to it?s second straight national title in the 4x100 as the Tigers posted the fourth-fastest mark in school history (38.65) at the NCAA Championships. Following a strong season in 2002, Brazell was named the SEC Male Track and Field Freshman of the Year...as a receiver on the 2003 BCS national championship LSU football team, Brazell became the first athlete in school history to win national championships in two different sports?Brazell is a Journalism major at LSU.
2005: 4th at USA Outdoor Champs (48.09)?runner-up at NCAA Champs (47.67PR)?ranked #10 in world (#4 U.S.) by T&FN...best of 47.67
2004: 3rd at Olympic Trials (48.05PR)?8th at Olympic Games (49.51)?runner-up at Olympic Trials semifinal (48.52)?runner-up at NCAA Outdoors (49.34)?runner-up at SEC Championship (48.86)?ranked #3 in U.S. by T&FN?best of 48.05PR
2003: 4th at NCAA Outdoors (49.38)?3rd at NCAA Regionals (49.10)?3rd at SEC Championships (49.10)?best of 48.97.
2002: NCAA Outdoor runner-up (48.80)?runner-up at SEC Outdoors (49.10)?best of 48.80.
We could have a relay team alone in Joseph, McNeal, Kilmer and Brazell.
I think they got some steals in the final 3 picks. That is doing their homework. Just like they did when they picked Stacy Andrews a couple of years ago. He was raw, but has supposedly turned into quite a lineman.
Quote:I dont know about you, but I didnt like the picks at all. 7th round, they get 2 WRs? 6th round they waste it on a QB? Frostee Rucker in the 3rd? He was projected to be a 5-7 rounde not a 3. Joseph could be a nice player, but we needed a Safety more than a CB. Alot of the picks like Joseph, Whiteworth, and Rucker seem to signify that ather players wont be returning like James, Willy, and Justin Smith.
1. They arent necessarily WR's, but special team players.
2. As for McNeal, he's going to transition to WR. He's widely considered one of the better athletes in the draft.
Recruiting analysts are wrong all the time. Look at how many they said were early first day picks that slid. I trust Marvin, the coaching staff, and the scouting department.
As for TE, it's not the big need everyone believes. It's just a "sexy" position. The offense is fine...
I was not at all impressed with the Bengals draft.
I follow SEC football very closely and I honestly have never seen Jonathon Joseph make a big play at Cornerback while he was at USC.
Andrew Whitworth in the 2nd Round was horrible. He is a holding machine. He had 6 holds in the SEC Championship game this past year. He was much better as a freshman and sophomore at LSU. He has regressed big-time the last two years at LSU as he has added a lot of weight and lost a lot of his foot speed and agility.
The Michigan State DT in the 4th Round was not a good pick either. He never showed me anything. I just wasn't impressed at all with the Bengals draft. They missed on some real quality players who could have filled some quality needs in my opinion...
I know they were shopping Washington, but who did they actually trade for him? I haven't been able to find a report on it.
This team will not use the TE, except for blocking: 3 good WR's and perry out of the backfield would make it hard to get a TE much action.
I like the first 3 picks CB, OL, DE. you can never have too many!
IMO willy, and smith will both be packing after this year.
I like the Qb, Mcneal, as a backup he would give the bengals a total change from Palmers drop back action. If palmer went down during a game, and Mcneal came in, the defence would be in for culture shock.
Well, we need to trust Marvin given what he has done so far....however, I would have to say...I like Mick's recruiting class much more than this bengals draft at this point...hopefully they prove us wrong
Nah, baby, nah.......the more important question is why one male is looking at another male's bulging unit and analyzing it. You must have serious issues. Did it start when you became a Steelers fan? Because that is the most obvious answer. ;-)
Maybe Im just used to the Bengals drafting immediate needs. Alot of their picks seem to be geared for the future. So maybe I am wrong. Still dissapointed about no TE. Also dissapointed that it seems they wont resign Smith and Willy.
Bengals are about 48 million under the 2007 cap and at least 6 million for the 06 class.Why the hell cant they resign all 4 big free agents to be in Levi,Steinbach,Willie and Smith?Im not buying the **** the Bengals are trying to sell in cap poverty
![[Image: BRAZELL_B_20040824_GH_L.jpg]](http://www.sporting-heroes.net/files_athletics/BRAZELL_B_20040824_GH_L.jpg)
